Accountant (General)

Plans and provides systems and services relating to the financial dealings of organisations and individuals, and advises on associated record-keeping and compliance requirements. Registration or licensing is required.

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This is an estimate of the time it will take to complete the
most relevant course associated with this occupation. It’s based on the amount
of time taken to complete this course and doesn’t take into account personal
circumstances or barriers.

This data is sourced from the training providers. For more
detailed information, contact the training provider for the course you’re
interested in.

Average pay

Average pay is based on the average annual taxable income for people working in this occupation in Australia. Income tends to increase with the amount of time spent in a field. These figures are intended as a guide only, rather than a prediction of future earnings.

Annual taxable income data has been sourced from Taxation Statistics 2014-15 published by the Australian Taxation Office.

Employment prospects

This is an indication of the level of demand for workers in
a particular field. If demand is strong, there’s a higher chance of employment
after completing training, meaning your employment prospects for this
occupation are strong. If demand is low, the likelihood of employment after training
will be lower, and your employment prospects will be poor.

The information in this section is sourced from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, with input from industry bodies.

This information is intended as a guide only. Each job will vary depending on the nature of the role, the employer, and the employee.

Paul: accountant, Melbourne

Transcript

VIDEO: Graphic on screen: Interview with Paul Scacco: Talking about his job as an Accountant
Paul Scacco sitting in his office.

VIDEO: Paul Scacco sitting in his office.

Graphic on screen: Accountant Paul Scacco BSA Partnerships Melbourne

AUDIO: Well, I sorta hit a point where I was sort of unhappy with my workload. Um, started assessing what I wanted to do. Um, in one of the jobs I had I had done some accounts payable/receivable type work. Um, so I thought I sorta could do a similar sort of job. Um, started researching, I started looking where I could possibly work and I thought, y’know, I might try accounting.

VIDEO: Paul Scacco going through paperwork in a folder at his desk.

AUDIO: When everything works perfectly everything should balance, so your debits should equal your credits. Um, that sort of appeals to me. So yeah, it was the inquisitive sort of, puzzle nature of accounting; yeah, that sorta drew me in. Analytical skills as well; ability to read information and decide what’s relevant and what’s not relevant. Um, we get a lot of clients, in tax particularly, we get a lot of clients who basically give us everything and not everything is related to their tax so you actually have to be able to look thorugh and determine what’s relevant and what’s immaterial.

VIDEO: Paul Scacco walking through the office with paperwork to arrive at a meeting.

AUDIO: Um, I think there probably is a perception that it can be somewhat of a boring field and there is no – sorta you just sit at your desk – and that’s your day. But it is, I suppose, a very social job. Um, I suppose being a junior or a co-op, I do ask a lot of questions of people who are my seniors and managers.

VIDEO: Paul Scacco taking notes while listening to a senior colleague in a meeting.

AUDIO: I get along really well with the people I work with.

VIDEO: Paul Scacco sitting in his office.

AUDIO: It can make a big difference in any job. A lot of the jobs I’ve had I’ve enjoyed the people I work with.

VIDEO: Paul Scacco discussing work with a colleague at their desk.

AUDIO: Even if, ultimately, it didn’t work out for me in terms of career wise, but yeah, definitely the people.

VIDEO: Paul Scacco sitting in his office.

AUDIO: If I could get back and speak to myself I’d just say ‘Don’t wait. You know you’re not happy so don’t wait and just get on with it and make something of your life and find a career that you enjoy.’